CURRENT WAR TOPICS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 54, 9 February 1916, Page 5

CURRENT WAR TOPICS.

The reports of great German preparations in the West are only to bo expected, in view of the many rumours concerning an Allied dash across their lines in the Spring. The offensive may be taken by the enemy, of course, but the mention of Ypres as the critical point for the move may be only a rumor. Admitting that the wish is father to this German thought, the growing knowledge that the Allies are increasing in the power of their forces and in unity of action as the months are heaped up, is having a very steading effect upon the Huns., They are not anxious to leave the trenches and meet the guns of the Allies or the glittering blades of the British or French'lT they have the luck to get to these trenches. The Artillery duels have been fierce, and small successes are reported on both sides. Not much importance need be attached to these side issues, so to speak i the great “day” is awaited with interest and also with increasing confidence in the ultimate success of our arras.

The cable to-day concerning Germany’s man-power gives some interesting figures, but they are all more or less a matter of guesswork, although, probably, fairly accurate in the aggregate. The other side of the question, the strength of the Allies, was referred to by Captain-Chaplain Wilson, who during the Christmas of 1914 witnessed many of the horrors perpetrated by the Germans on the Western front, and who spoke in an enthusiastic prophetic vein at the send-off to Major Professor David in Sydney a few days ago. “As sure as we are in this hall to-night,” said he, “so sure will Britain arid our Allies wage war until Germany is on her knees.” A gentleman of the War Office had said, when the captain was leaving' England: “We have 3,000,000 of men recruited, hut we haven’t the armaments. Tell your people in Australia not to he anxious. At the end of the second year of the war we estimate that Britain's army, with her Colonial forces, will at least be 4,000,000 of men.” The Germans complained that it was unfair to employ colored tjroops against white troops. “It is better,” said Captain Wilson, “for England to employ colored troops for a white purpose than for Germany to employ white troops for a black purpose.” “We want every man we can get,” Captain iWlson went on “but wo are sure to win. Our difficulty is not so much the men that Britain has to fight, but the huge military machine of the Germans.”

One of Russia’s handicaps throughout the war has been the fact that the port of Archangel freezes over in winter. lecfbreakers have been used, of course, but the port could not be called ice-free.' This difficulty seems, how - ever, to have been to a much greater extent overcome during the present winter. At any rate, three powerful ice-breakers, each of nearly 10,000 tons’ displacement, are said to have been steaming up and down in the White Sea, breaking down ice in the regular channel. It was hoped to keep it open until, at any rate, the end of January. February is regarded as the most difficult month of the winter in this sea; but if the ice that gathers then should be too thick to be negotiated it is believed that the ice-crush-ers will he able to open up a channel again before April i. The vessels now operating in the White Sea were built in English yards. They do more than ram the ice—they rise up over »the edges of floes and crush them down hy sheer weight of hull. Shipments to Pdtrograd from New York via Vladivostok are said to be going through ini an average time of 60 days. The time by way of Archangel is about 25 days. There is practically no daylight now in the White Sea, the long winter days having set in; but the Archangel approaches to the White Sea are reported as being well lighted, and navigators have little difficulty in this respect. The waters off the Mnrraan coast, which run up north-west from the entrance to the White Sea, are deep, and the coastline bold. For a distance of fully 200 miles to the eastward of the North Cape the Cult Stream current is felt, and ice floes are reported as few in number until well up to the White Sea. ,

The report of the Belgian Relief Committee up to 30th June last affords some very interesting reading. It seems that practically the entire civil population (7,000,000) has been dependent on the Commission for food. As a result of industrial paralysis, 2,750,000 are now reduced to destitution, and another 500,000 would have been destitute if it had not been for the financial operations of the Commission. Every possible precaution and care is taken to ensure the supplies reaching the right people. The food from abroad has been purchased by the Commission from North America, the Argentine, and India. Regular weekly cargo services have been maintained between America, Argentina, Britain, and Rotterdam, and at all points liberal help lias boon given. At Rotterdam the foodstuffs are transhipped to lighters and towed up the canals to the various warehouses and military centres in Belgium and North France. From November, 1914, to June, 1915, the foodstuffs arriving at Rotterdam amounted to 655,295 tons, and there are 2500 local committees who attend to the distribution.

In selling such food as is sold, the Commission charges prices .which yield a moderate profit, and this profit is appropriated Lo the Benevolent Department. This means something like a tax on those Belgians with means for the benefit of the destitute. The business done in this way amounted to over £10,000,0,00. The Belgian people, from their own local charity, and from Belgian institutions abroad, have hitherto borne two-thirds of the cost of supporting the destitute. But their resources must dwindle, and the Commission in August estimated that another six months of industrial stagnation would have increased the number of destitute by 1,300,000 more persons. Following are the chief items of the British Empire’s cash assistance :—United Kingdom £808,052, New South Wales £264,565, Victoria £188.456, New Zealand £134,231, South Australia £43,610, Queensland £38,096, Tasmania £7770, West Australia £BlOl.